Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Awesome

Simon Grigg

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 13:09:59 +1300

there was a nano second where clean dreadlocks were cool, and then you beocme the Counting Crows.

or Zed...ouch.....

Compie

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:35:11 +1300

there was a nano second where clean dreadlocks were cool, and then you beocme the Counting Crows.

It's like that dick gripper/undies add on TV at the moment, situation and timing eh.

Tomorrowpeople

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 09:47:15 +1300

lol.

Was in a band that got the opening slot for the Counting Crows.
Until they cancelled the show....

Compie

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 21:40:27 +1300

Patchy, and I' m a huge Who fan. I liked the mini rock opera part of it, and there were one or tow in there that are a lot better live (the who site has live concert footage), but to go so far as making one gag, biit harsh.

bands…

Tomorrowpeople

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:14:14 +1300

I'm keen to hear the new Who album then I will tell you where it's at – lol

Simon Grigg

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 15:22:13 +1300

It got a bloody four star review in Mojo too! Quite odd. Yes, its terrible, I agree. The only old buggers make new album I want to hear is the new Roxy produced by Eno rumoured for 2007

Danielle

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 13:39:04 +1300

Simon, you're being charitable about the new Who album. It is so aggressively bad that I actually grimaced several times.

Music should not make you grimace. Especially not at home, alone, in a comfy chair.

Simon Grigg

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:14:32 +1300

Compie, Yamis..I'm with you on The Who. Live at Leeds still stands for me as one of the greatest albums ever, live or otherwise. Not sure about the new album though....

Compie

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:54:14 +1300

Yamis

similar between The Who and Jimi Hendrix, nice little rivalry about who would follow whom on stage.

If you're talking original guitar, bass drums vocals then there is no comparison to the Who. After all they invented the Mashal Stack (well stole enough pieces). John wanted his bass to…

Yamis

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:58:04 +1300

Live.... Rage Against the Machine. No gimmicks, flash lights or anything else but bass, drums, guitar and fury. It was wel known that no band ever wanted to go on after them at festivals for fear of sounding like enya by comparison. Viva la revolution!

Simon Grigg

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:35:07 +1300

The Stones didn't used to be self parody. Witness the movie "Ladies and Gentleman The RS" from 1971. I saw them at Western Springs in 73(!!) and they were incredible. Although I didn't see them on their last tour (not in the country and probaly wouldn't want to to be…

Compie

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:11:41 +1300

I've seen U2 twice now, 1984 at CHCH Town Hall and then the zooropa tour, both were stunning.

But don't make me laugh (and I'm not looking for a fight), don't even think of putting the RHCP anywhere near these guys. RHCP are pop pure and simple.

As for real…

tim kong

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 10:21:50 +1300

Not a huge fan of the U2 sound – but have to agree with Russell, that their care and attention to technical production has always been a pleasure to watch.

It's not always worked, and it's a bit OTT at times, but they've consistently stretched the boundaries of what a…

Tomorrowpeople

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:06:17 +1300

Relating this to a 20something colleague she was appropriately impressed that I could stand just 2m away from bono hisself. What I wonder now is: if U2 are the new Stones, who will be the next U2? Franz Ferdinand? Arctic Monkeys? Or some yankee emo croud?

None of the above.…

James Littlewood

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:40:55 +1300

Showing the age: I caught U2 at the Logan Concrete Bunker in 1984. Four Irish guys rocking out on stage with nothing but a PA and a few parcans.

I remember 3 things. They wore black jeans, and still do. Bono's sole fell off his boot, and he needed a…

Tomorrowpeople

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:03:33 +1300

Speaking of chciks being pulled up on stage...

One of the Sunday rags featured a large spread on a chick who was 'pulled' from the audience to be on stage with Bono.

Now, this chicky-babe was blonde and good looking, not to mention very well made up and photogenic.
Hardly…

webweaver

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 00:23:46 +1300

Now that's the sign of a great review, Russell – to make those of us who weren't there wish we had been!

I saw U2 a couple of times in the early 80s, quite a long time before they became a fully-fledged stadium band, and they were pretty good gigs.…

Tomorrowpeople

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:53:28 +1300

I don't mind U2, well I didn't until their last few crap
'Nickleback-meets-Robbie Williams' albums....

My favourite U2 album is Zooropa which most U2 fans and zealots write-off as 'U2 losing their way' etc etc.
I guess they can't deal with anything that doesn't have 'three chords and the truth'.…

Simon Grigg

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:08:54 +1300

Hi Dubber, I remember that story of yours from back in the day, it was the stuff of legend, and rightly so. Whilst I'm not a fan as such (I'm with Russell..they have one or two great songs but, hey, they ain't The Clash ;)) I was mightily impressed.

I…

JP Hansen

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:54:13 +1300

; I mean, flying into soundcheck in a helicopter? Get your hand off it mate!

Well, if you're staying on some private island in Mercury Bay off the coromandel peninsula and taking in some of the local ambience, I dare say that a chopper will get you to the soundcheck…

Peter Darlington

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:48:41 +1300

I'm not sure what message they're so grandly communicating though Russ. It's all just Nike adverts to me.

Robyn Gallagher

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:39:55 +1300

I've never been anything even close to being a U2 fan, but I appreciate Russell's account of the performance and technology (geek!) at the concert.

The sea of cellphones sounds like a slightly more modern of Robbie Williams' sea of camera flashes at his Knebworth concerts. Either would be brilliant…

Andre Alessi

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:26:23 +1300

No comment on the Farnham thing though... ;-)

Good call. I was devastated to learn I didn't have the necessary neck hair to grow a decent mullet, so it's still a bit of a sore point for me.

Ah, the tribulations of being twelve...

Lloyd McDonald

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:22:22 +1300

Excellent review Russell. I am a fan and had seen them the week before in Sydney at Telstra Stadium. The Auckland concert was far superior. In this case the smaller stadium worked a treat and the crowd involvement was far more intense. A brilliant show, you need to see them…

Jeremy Andrew

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:21:49 +1300

No comment on the Farnham thing though... ;-)

Jeremy Andrew

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:21:19 +1300

See, now that's odd, I was at that same Pumpkins gig (IIRC it was a few years earlier than '97), and, while I really enjoyed it, I was more affected by having Mellon Collie on high-rotate on my cd player.
Tool at the North Shore events centre was a different…

Andre Alessi

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:04:54 +1300

The funny thing about concerts is that they do tend to make a believer out of you. Maybe it's just that so much of our perceptions of musicians nowadays have little or nothing to do with their music, and so much about everything else.

I remember a truly glorious experience…

Rogan Polkinghorne

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:42:59 +1300

I'm so very glad everyone (except maybe Graeme) had such a lovely time at U2.

Personally, I would rather set myself on fire and throw myself in front of a train than sit through one of their concerts (I come out in a horrible rash when exposed to anything Bono-related;…

rodgerd

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:07:11 +1300

Incidentally, on the spin front, Michael Basset was on NatRad this morning claiming Hager forged his evidence, although he declined to identify which evidence was forged. That could get... interesting.

(As is the way so many Nation-defending bloggers are on-message with that spin, eh, Craig. NZ politics gets more depressingly…

Rich of Observationz

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:52:05 +1300

U2 are in fact post-punk. They started in the early 80's and were actually credible for quite a time. I saw them at Lansdowne Rd (in Dublin) for the Zoo TV tour in about '93 – they were pretty good then and one of the first bands to put on…

Kyle Matthews

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:37:33 +1300

Now, it wasn't just me who thought that ref was not up to it, was it? Or the linesmen, either. There was one point where a Welsh player running up the sideline clearly put his foot into touch, and the linesman (who was right there) was watching the oncoming tackle…

Russell Brown

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:27:10 +1300

U2? Jeez Russ what's next, expounding on the technically brilliant guitar playing of Mark Knopfler? Rating which Pink Floyd albums sound best on your new SACD player?
It's like punk rock never happened...

I know, I know ... but it was a grand act of communication. I did think at…

Andrew Dubber

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:15:40 +1300

Thanks for this Russell. I am a U2 fan. I hate that I am a U2 fan, but there you go. An accident of time and place, friends and influences that left me with a crucial chink in my otherwise tasteful and widely variegated musical persona.

U2 for me were…

Peter Darlington

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:15:16 +1300

U2? Jeez Russ what's next, expounding on the technically brilliant guitar playing of Mark Knopfler? Rating which Pink Floyd albums sound best on your new SACD player?

It's like punk rock never happened...

Russell Brown

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:11:22 +1300

there was even a moment in the game when Nisbett or Mexted actually mistook Hayman for McCaw at the breakdown. I nearly cried with happiness for the big fella.

That turnover was a simply tremendous piece of play, showing strength, speed and awareness. And it led to a try.

Grant Robertson

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:00:25 +1300

Carl Hayman was in the first three All Blacks to the breakdown more than any other player – yes, even Richie. The big guy is a champ.

there was even a moment in the game when Nisbett or Mexted actually mistook Hayman for McCaw at the breakdown. I nearly cried…

Russell Brown

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:50:22 +1300

U2 only have one good song?

I said one great song, but I'm open to argument. The point was more how much, as a non-fan, I was completely won over by what they did.

nzlemming

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:36:16 +1300

Now, it wasn't just me who thought that ref was not up to it, was it? Or the linesmen, either. There was one point where a Welsh player running up the sideline clearly put his foot into touch, and the linesman (who was right there) was watching the oncoming tackle…

rodgerd

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:35:08 +1300

U2 only have one good song? I don't much like U2, and I'd cheerfully argue that. Sunday Bloody Sunday, for starters (written, one notes, at a time when it was decidedly not the done thing for Irish artists to be putting too much energy into suggesting that the Glorious Struggle…

Public Address

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:35:08 +1300

Discussion from blog post.